CES: What Microsoft's Ballmer didn't say

[JMH]

This isn’t a typical keynote write-up. Usually, covering a keynote, I write about what executives say or announce. At the kick-off Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 keynote by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on January 5, the more interesting bits were what Ballmer didn’t say.

He didn’t offer Windows Phone 7 sales numbers. (Microsoft said recently it had sold 1.5 million WP7 devices, but later admitted it had sold these to carriers, not consumers.)

He didn’t offer any new Windows 7 sales figures.

He didn’t talk about Microsoft’s plans to compete with Apple TV and Google TV (or why it isn’t planning to do so).

Most alarmingly, he didn’t have anything to say about how Microsoft plans to address the slate market beyond what company officials have said already — namely, that Windows 7 makes a darn good slate/tablet operating system and will be the operating system that Microsoft makes available to its partners for the next two-plus years. I strongly disagree, as even the nicest looking Windows slates hitting the market are either 1. super pricey; 2. horrible re: battery life; 3. heavy/bulky; and/or 4. not touch-centric.

CES: What Microsoft's Ballmer didn't say | ZDNet

 

[Ryan2320]

I thought it was a pretty good keynote.

What else can Microsoft do? They're a software company. They have to depend on the hardware manufactures to really develop Windows 7. So far I think they have done a really good job with the laptop and desktop markets. On the tablet side It's hard to tell if the "Windows" tablet will take off or not. Personally I would go for a full OS Windows tablet that can do everything a "normal PC" would do.

I also did find it interesting at the end when Steve said:
“Whatever device you use, now or in the future, Windows will be there.”

Hmmmm. :huh:

Ryan